Two more deaths linked to measles have been reported in Pennsylvania, pushing the United States toward its highest number of measles deaths in decades. The tally now stands at four deaths this year, more than any other year since 1992.
Pennsylvania reported the deaths yesterday. One was a 40-year-old woman. The second was an 18-year-old.
The outbreak has reached 693 cases across 38 counties. That total already exceeds the entire country’s count for all of 2025.
CDC Not Recording Any Deaths
The federal government has not registered any of those deaths yet. The CDC has not recorded a single measles-related death for 2026, as of this writing.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disputed the role of measles in the first two deaths. His office posted a statement on X explaining why the agency has not logged the fatalities.
“CDC will report measles-caused deaths when the National Center for Health Statistics reports measles as the underlying cause based on death record information submitted by the states,” Kennedy wrote.
The statement raises questions about how quickly the agency processes death data.
What the Numbers Mean
Four measles deaths in one year is a grim milestone. The last time the U.S. saw this many deaths was 1992, according to the available figures.
The discrepancy between the reported deaths and the CDC’s records is notable. Public health officials typically move quickly to update death counts during outbreaks.
“CDC will report measles-caused deaths when the National Center for Health Statistics reports measles as the underlying cause based on death record information submitted by the states.”
Other Stories Worth Reading
STAT compiled a list of related reading for anyone catching up on the measles crisis. The recommendations include:
- How we know that splitting up the MMR vaccine could be dangerous
- Is measles still officially eliminated in the U.S.?
- There are already more U.S. measles cases this year than in all of 2025
The list also points readers to coverage of the broader context. The midterms could reshape health care policy, and Democrats are preparing aggressive oversight plans if they win control of Congress in November.
STAT contributor Jason Karlawish argues that dementia has become a political football. “Americans need to have a responsible conversation about dementia, and our politicians could inspire this,” he writes in his latest column.
Karlawish believes the issue connects to major midterms concerns like the economy, health care, and immigration.
A Doctor’s Personal Approach
David Elkowitz, a physician, has been sharing his own cancer journey with medical students. He was diagnosed with thymic cancer in 2017 and went three days without speaking after his first biopsy.
Only after his oncologist opened up about her own cancer was Elkowitz able to communicate again. “She was not obligated to be so open, but her humility unlocked me,” he writes in a new First Opinion essay.
He now presents his own tumors, test results, and treatments to first-year students. His approach aims to make medicine feel real to future physicians.
Sedatives Contaminating Street Drugs
Medetomidine, a sedative, has been found mixed into illegal fentanyl shipments for the past two years. A paper published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine describes 16 patient experiences with the drug.
Participants told researchers the sedative is so powerful, passing out after use is typical. That increases a person’s risk of being robbed or assaulted in public.
Withdrawal from the drug is known to be excruciating. It causes an elevated heart rate and blood pressure, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.
The findings are not new, but research lags behind what drug users and clinicians already know. “It is the constant change of molecules that resets the harm for every generation, every few years,” epidemiologist Nabarun Dasgupta recently told me.
Re-read Lev Facher’s explainer on medetomidine from last year, and another piece from STAT contributor Hannah Harris Green on how jails are responding to this new kind of withdrawal.
Medicare Expands Its Tech Model
Medicare is expanding an experimental program that pays technology companies to manage chronic conditions. The model pays more if patients’ conditions improve.
The program was announced last year, and it has barely begun. But regulators are already moving to add more conditions.
They announced yesterday the addition of substance use disorder, heart failure, tobacco use, and more.
The idea is to align payments with outcomes. Providers earn more when their patients get better.
What We’re Reading Elsewhere
KFF Health News covered a cancer survivor who lost Medicaid disability coverage while hoping to work. Wired reported that those viral bodega peptides are not actually peptides.
The FDA took applications for a new program to shorten drug approval times. The NIH is taking shape on a new research center on vaccine harms.
Vera’s kidney drug Trutakna showed strong final results in a Phase 3 trial.
The Bigger Picture
The measles deaths are a warning sign. The U.S. has not seen this many deaths from the disease in decades.
The CDC’s slow response to reporting deaths adds to the concern. Officials have not explained why the agency has not logged any of the four confirmed deaths.
Public health officials need to act fast. The disease spreads quickly, and the numbers keep rising.
The situation remains unresolved.
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